Sustainable Agriculture on Slopes: The Effectiveness of International Development Projects in Fostering Soil Conservation in North Thailand

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorStreet, John M.
dc.contributor.authorHarper, Dave E.
dc.contributor.departmentGeography and Environment
dc.date.accessioned2009-07-15T17:47:01Z
dc.date.available2009-07-15T17:47:01Z
dc.date.issued1986-12
dc.description.abstractThis study evaluates the performance of three international development assistance projects in controlling soil erosion, increasing sustainable yields, and improving farmer welfare in hilly lands of Chiang Mai and Nan Provinces, Thailand. A team of seven researchers gathered primary data on 138 project-treated fields and 82 non-project controls. Interviews with each farmer provided information on yields and project participation, perception of erosion and conservation, and household welfare. Staffs and managers of assistance projects supplied information on project goals and activities. The study hypothesized that (a) soil conservation leads to improved sustainable yields, and (b) projects effectively transfer soil conservation technology to farmers. The main findings are: 1. Projects have succeeded in reducing erosion rates 33 to 75 percent using control structures, but they have failed to teach farmers agronomic conservation methods necessary to limit soil degradation on or between structures. Mean erosion rates exceed creation rates in all sample villages. 2. Exposure of subsoil during construction of bench terraces has led to declining yields and reduced farmer acceptance of soil conservation. 3. Lack of maintenance limits the effective life of structures and indicates limited commitment by farmers to conservation. 4. Projects tend to use only one type of conservation method, regardless of site conditions and prevailing agricultural practices. 5. Yield levels do not correlate well with conservation, erosion rates, or project participation. However, sustainable production correlates with high yields and with agronomic conservation benefits such as increased organic matter and reduced sheet erosion. 6. Projects have succeeded in replacing swidden cultivation with settled farming in project villages, although most farmers still favor exploitive rather than conservative farming techniques. 7. Sustainable production is close to being achieved on farms practicing agronomic conservation. Swiddens (which are rarely tilled more than 4 years) and fields using only structural conservation display declining yields. Optimally, a combination of structural and agronomic conservation should be used. 8. Success of assistance projects varies according to integration of social and technical aspects of soil conservation, farmer involvement, and project design and organization.
dc.description.degreePh.D.
dc.format.extentxv, 469 pages
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10125/9799
dc.languageeng
dc.publisherUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa
dc.relationTheses for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (University of Hawaii at Manoa). Geography.
dc.rightsAll UHM dissertations and theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission from the copyright owner.
dc.subjectAgricultural development projects--EvaluationS
dc.subjectSustainable agriculture
dc.subjectAgricultural assistance
dc.subjectSoil conservation
dc.titleSustainable Agriculture on Slopes: The Effectiveness of International Development Projects in Fostering Soil Conservation in North Thailand
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.dcmiText
dcterms.spatialNorthern Thailand
local.identifier.callnumberAC1 .H3 no.2072
local.identifier.voyagerid553308
local.thesis.degreelevelPhD

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
uhm_phd_8707018_uh.pdf
Size:
15.24 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Version for UH users
Download
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
uhm_phd_8707018_r.pdf
Size:
15.37 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Version for non-UH users. Copying/Printing is not permitted
Download

Collections

Ph.D. - Geography